If I have NOTHING to give, I can’t give ANYTHING – nothing, nada, zero.
Makes sense – right?
I can’t give you money if my bank account has a zero balance.
I can’t teach you to read if I don’t know how to read.
I can’t prepare food for you if my pantry and refrigerator have no food.
I can’t give you a drink of water if my water pitcher is empty.
If I am EMOTIONALLY bankrupt, I’m going to have a difficult time practicing gratitude and I’m NOT going to be able to encourage anyone else.
If I am SPIRITUALLY not growing, the lens that I see the world through will be filled with fear and hopelessness. I will NOT be operating in the power that God has given me as His child.
If I am PHYSICALLY not taking care of God’s earthly temple, my body, I will NOT be operating optimally and I will eventually have various health issues which can keep me focused inward.
If I am not regularly taking care of myself emotionally, spiritually and physically, I will have NOTHING to pour into my family and others when God places them in my life.
I CAN’T GIVE FROM A PLACE OF EMPTY.
When I’m not healthy emotionally, spiritually or physically, I can be focused inward on my own health issues and problems. It will be very difficult to have BIG PICTURE VISION.
What is BIG PICTURE VISION?
BIG PICTURE VISION happens when I am operating from a place of emotional, spiritual and physical health. Does it mean that I have perfect health in all of these areas? Not at all!
It means that I am AWARE of who God created me to be, what my strengths and weaknesses are, and I am regularly WORKING ON growing emotionally, spiritually and physically.
Big picture vision is the opposite of tunnel vision. TUNNEL VISION is having a narrow focus and in my experience it’s being turned inward on myself. Is tunnel vision ever okay? Definitely! Tunnel vision is normal when you or your family are walking through a difficult illness, accident, death in the family, or other situation. This is a time when you are operating in SURVIVAL MODE and it is normal to turn inward. In fact, that is really the only way you can get through this time. That was true for me personally.
My own story involves my daughter’s terrible car accident which left her seriously injured. She went from an independent college student to a dependent 19 year old who could not walk without assistance and who had to be driven to occupational therapy, physical therapy and trauma counseling appointments for many years. She also needed assistance with activities of daily living. To say that I had TUNNEL VISION and was operating in SURVIVAL MODE would be absolutely accurate.
I knew I was getting better emotionally, spiritually and physically when I began to think bigger than myself and my immediate struggles. I literally felt the shift mentally. It’s like when something has not been used in a while, it feels odd at first but then you don’t notice it because it becomes normal.
Why do I need BIG PICTURE VISION?
We were created to have relationships with others, to encourage one another, to disciple others. It’s NEVER been about just me or you all by ourselves and turned inward.
God created each one of us to fulfill His purpose, to be His hands and feet, to meet the needs of others, to be LIGHT in a dark world and to be part of HIS BIG PICTURE VISION.
So where are YOU right now? What’s going on in YOUR life?
What are YOU doing to work on your Emotional, Spiritual and Physical health?
How can YOU start this process?
Begin by evaluating where you are Emotionally, Spiritually and Physically. Spend some time with this Finding Me Assessment.
Consider working through the Finding Me: A Woman’s Guide to Learning More About Herself journal. I will begin another Finding Me Book Club in September, 2020, where we work through the Finding Me journal in a group setting.
It's time to FILL that EMPTY place!
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